Leeds Fans Wont Be United Again Without Change

One thing you can never fault Leeds fans for is their commitment to the cause, fans from other teams across the country are often quick to comment on how passionate we are, there’s a reason our anthem is titled ‘Marching on Together’.

Unfortunately, the last few years has seen a divide gradually appear.

The cracks began to form over the last couple of seasons, as fans would clash over the facts surrounding Ken Bates’ tenure as chairman and the way in which we should demonstrate our unhappiness with the lack of quality being brought into the team.

Some believed that a boycott of the games was the best way to drive Bates out, claiming that if the money dried up he’d have no choice but to sell up. This was refuted by others, who were unhappy at the thought of having to give up watching the team they loved. This often led to infighting amongst the masses, with those wanting to boycott being labelled as less passionate and those unwilling to join in seen as being too naive to make the right decision.

What we need to focus on is the sentiment behind both arguments, both sets of fans want Bates out, both want change.

Admittedly, there are still some fans that think of anyone willing to protest as bad for the club. After my previous article regarding Bates I was told that I was spreading negativity around Elland Road, and that the ‘Anti Bates’ mob were the worst kind of fan.

If people do not want to focus on the problems we currently face with Bates in charge then I cannot blame them for that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and some fans are happy to just turn up every week and watch their team play. Unfortunately, these fans are often ill advised in regards to the truth about the severity of the issue we currently have at our club, regularly taking Bates’ programme notes as factual. I would imagine if they were presented with the whole truth that their opinion would change, but without a fresh start at Leeds this will never be the case.

Leeds United are a proud club. We, the fans, have stuck by them through the ups and downs and throughout those times we have stood side by side in the stands.

The fan that thinks we should boycott stood shoulder to shoulder with the fan that felt that boycotting would make them less of a fan, they were stood shoulder to shoulder with the fan that just wanted to watch football and looked at any form of protest as unwanted negativity. We have all stood with each other and kicked every ball, cheered every goal and out roared the opposition time after time.

When we are united we are at our very best.

So where now? In my opinion, until Bates leaves the club we will never be able to truly be united again. This isn’t just an ‘anti Bates’ article, believe me, I’d much rather be writing about something positive, but this is a call to arms. If we cannot agree on how to protest then that doesn’t mean we should divide and argue among ourselves, there has to be a way forward and to find that we need to return to the days of showing a united front. Elland Road needs to be a fortress for every game.

Whatever way forward you believe to be right, remember that the fan you are disagreeing with, calling a lesser fan, insulting etc wants exactly the same thing as you, a successful Leeds United.

Ken Bates or no Ken Bates, Leeds, the club, the manager and the players will always have the fans to back them up when they’re against the ropes, right now they need us to be united more than ever.

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liam
3 years ago

Good post, i agree we are not going anywhere under bates control as we all know. i just dont understand his mentality if he wants the big pay check you need to invest? Hes not going to make much bein a mid table championship team? cant get my head round it im going insaneeeeeee

Volley Vont
3 years ago

Interesting, but the thing that does more damage to the club more than anything else is these fans who continue to peddle the lies and myths that bates has fed them. Ive wanted bates out since he arrived, didnt want him in the first place and knew what he would do and for me these so called fans have done this club as much harm as bates. if they cant be bothered to actually find out some facts or pay attention to the shady goings on when you have seen your club go into administration. You dont deserve to watch this team IMHO. Bates Should have been forced out of this club years ago by the fans but they sat there convincing themselves we were getting promoted every year. people who took notice knew our relegation to league 1 was coming. So for the fans to unite again, those still backing bates or claiming he saved us (look into it fools) NEED TO GROW A BACKBONE. a start to that would be joining the protest outside the ground and also protesting inside the ground, far too many are scared to do this. DO YOU CARE ABOUT THIS CLUB???? we will see tomorrow night, to be honest i dont have a lot of faith in you anymore

Normy
3 years ago

lies lies lies who do we believe

we have 1 of the poorest managers we have had for a long time bates mistake getting rid of grayson who actually knew how to get a very poor team to win

Lufc1979ish
3 years ago

I understand the sentiment but the article doesn’t get us anywhere. The fans will still bicker over what’s best, we either pack the ground out and hope the money sees its way into to the squad (hardly likely) rather than bates retirement fund or boycott the games and try and force him out. There is no other solution, where we are currently is a sort of limbo, were still getting respectable crowds but nothing amazing and it is putting the club into a situation where we are just treading water right now. The fans do need to unite right now but it’s impossible because that means sacrificing the club short term to gain long term and enough fans won’t do that. They are in actual fact doing more harm than good by going because they are funding ken bates to remain in charge. But this has been mentioned hundreds of times, unfortunately there are thousands of fans who go to the games who are just not clued up enough on what’s going on at the club to be able to make that choice, they see going to elland road as a day trip rather than an absolute passion. I know entry of people like this, we all assume everyone is an uber fan but that isn’t the case unfortunately.

Richard Carter
3 years ago

So it seems if you disagree with ‘the truth’ as argued by the bates out mob you are ill informed! There are a vast range of opinions on bates the club etc. All i want is to be unified in support of the team when they’re on the pitch. Anything else is wrong. If you want to boycott just do it. You’ll find 20000 others who disagree.

leedsforever
3 years ago

We should never sacrifice our support to the team. support the team outside the ground theyll know we r there for them.. Bates is a horrible person n i wont degrade myself by callin him a man.. Aint a chairman supposed to want their team in the premier league with 400000 fans there every home game… wheee the team would be worth double value and assetts goes up aswell…Bates get the hell outta of our beloved club n let us be where we truely belong.. the premier league the champions league a fan base that is the most united in the world..come on masterbate please do the rite thing uve made enough from us and the final buyout will be nice retirement for u… I never resort to begging… but please please leave us alone.. we r destroyed just like u wanted..

Ilkleywhite
3 years ago

Let’s face it, It’s the CLUB that will suffer if we don’t all stick together, we have been in Administration once, it might happen again, and this time it might be -30 points the same as Luton, Bates wont be here forever, but this club needs its loyal fans, we are LEEDS UNITED, which means we are United together, I don’t like the in fighting, it belittles our great club, and divides us.
Having said all this, I think the chronic mismanagement over the last couple of years is coming to a head, quite frankly, I have had enough of administration, points deductions, no transfer budgets, roasting from the wife over the cost of season tickets, and our best players heads turned, and easily led, Norwich City have practically got our League 1 midfield, all they need now is Kilkenny to make up the 4, Snodgrass going so cheaply was a final straw for me, do we need £2 million from Norwich so desperately, surely there were other offers from other teams, if we needed the money.
People are REALLY fed up, and I expect Warnock to walk shortly, he wont put up with much more, he was promised a transfer “war chest” all the got was money from player sales.
This “takeover” isn’t going to happen, and I didn’t think it ever would, it’s just a smokescreen to keep everyone quiet over the summer and try and sell more season tickets with the promise of “better times” though I do agree with some of the comments on here, (most of them actually) how can we proceed if we don’t invest, sell our best players and rely on youth team players, which again will be sold if they are any good, unless of course, there is no money in the club at all, and it’s all gone elsewhere, Hotels, Stand developments, funded by overseas loans, at special interest rates, and so on and so forth, or am I been too cynical in my old age.
MOT

Rex
3 years ago

Divide and conquer.

Bates has worked out how to get the best fans in the world at each others throats. Just look at the previous comments.

We need him out. Somehow, anyhow.

I can’t understand his thinking. Surely the club would be worth loads more as a Prem. club and it wouldn’t take a massive investment to get us there.

I can only assume that we are completely skint and that the influx of funds from player sales over the last few years has gone on libel damages.